The present invention relates to vegetable steamers.
Vegetable steamers have been known for a long period of time in the prior art. Generally, they comprise a basket-like device, often made of non-contaminating metal which has been perforated.
MILLARD ET AL U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,117 discloses a vegetable steamer of the type having a base plate, depending legs supported from the base plate, and a plurality of overlapping hingedly movable leaves. A handle is provided, connected to the base plate by a screw threaded arrangement, in a modified form, a detachable handle is provided, which includes a fork-like device for engagement with the bulbous head of a bushing 35 secured to the base plate of the steamer. The threaded connection is relatively expensive to manufacture, and in repeated use, particularly by persons of limited manual dexterity, the threads are apt to be stripped. In addition, the threaded connection is difficult to clean, providing a possible source of contamination. The alternate embodiment requires an expensive fork attachment which is provided with movable elements, together with a trigger mechanism to move them, in order to engage the bulbous head for lifting the steamer.
McMURRAY U.S. Pat. No. 222,296 discloses a vegetable steamer in which legs extend upwardly through slots in the perforated base plate, the legs providing loops or straps. A handle is provided in the form of a resilient, arcuate member having tabs extending through the straps provided by the legs. When this structure is to be cleaned, it must be completely disassembled, and the re-assembly is accomplished only with substantial difficulty.
BOWERS ET AL U.S. Pat. No. 300,565 discloses a toasting device with a handle having at each end a pair of oppositely extending tabs, which may be spring urged, which tabs enter into eyes formed on a supporting ring structure of the toaster device. The legs of the handle attachment structure are moved towards each other in order to collapse the legs to a position in which they are only narrowly spaced, to permit withdrawal of the tabs from the eyes, but it is not required that the legs engage each other, and therefore, accidental disengagement is possible.
McCLEARY U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,787 discloses a tea infuser having a handle which is locked to a base plate, the handle at its lower end having reversely bent prongs which prevent detachment of the handle, unless the prongs are bent. Repeated bending would quickly cause breakage of the prongs.